MAESTRO DANIEL SMITH RETURNS to POLAND

World Champion Australian conductor Daniel Smith, the winner of First Prize, the Golden Baton and the Orchestra’s Choice Prize at UNESCO’s Fitelberg International Conducting Competition 2012, returns to Poland in March 2015!

After 2 years of touring and more than 20 cities all around the world, Maestro Smith, named as «one of the most outstanding musicians of our time» by the Saint Petersburg News, will conduct the Filharmonia Śląska in Katowice and the Orkiestra Symfoniczna Filharmonii im. Karola Szymanowskiego in Kraków.

The upcoming concerts in Poland hold a very specific place in Maestro Smith’s 2015 tour, during a season which includes performances with The Mariinsky Theatre in Saint Petersburg, the London Philharmonic Orchestra, the New Japan Philharmonic orchestra, World Expo in Milan, the Arena di Verona, the National Orchestras of Italy and Ireland, and a seven-city tour with the South Netherlands Philharmonic.

«I am thrilled to return to Poland to conduct for the 9th time, this time for two consecutive weeks and to launch my charity foundation – The Gift of Music. Katowice has become the birthplace of my career after winning the Grzegorz Fitelberg International Competition and the orchestral musicians from Filharmonia Śląska im. Henryka Mikołaja Góreckiego will forever be a part of my family and heart. I love how the Polish public show such excitement to join the musical journey with me. The morning after the concert, I will fly to conduct The London Philharmonic Orchestra on tour and immediately return for my first time making music with the Orkiestra Symfoniczna Filharmonii im. Karola Szymanowskiego in Kraków, a city I have fallen in love with. I am looking forward to sharing an exciting adventure through music, wearing my «I love Polish people» t-shirt which I bought on my last trip to Poland!», – remarks Daniel Smith.

Daniel Smith, rapidly gained international acclaim after winning First Prize, the Golden Baton and the Orchestra’s Choice Prize in UNESCO’s Fitelberg International Conducting Competition, as well as the Second Prize in the prestigious Sir Georg Solti International Conducting Competition. His third success was the First Prize in the Luigi Mancinelli International Opera Conducting Competition along with the Orchestra’s Choice Prize in the Lutosławski International Conducting Competition.

Daniel studied conducting with Jorma Panula, Neeme Järvi, Gianluigi Gelmetti, Hugh Wolff and Peter Gülke. He holds a Master of Music degree from the Sydney Conservatorium of Music and Fellowships from the Trinity College London, American Academy of Conducting in Aspen and the Universität Mozarteum Salzburg.

Daniel has conducted at festivals in more than 20 countries around the world, including MiTo Festival and the Proms, Kraków, World Expo, Stars of the White Nights, Mozarteum Festspiele, Järvi Summer Festival, Estate Musicale Chigiana, Aspen Music Festival, Sydney Olympic Arts Festival.

His musicality, energy and spirit create an infectious rapport with musicians and audiences alike. «An amazing musician, an amazing conductor. On the one hand, he created passion, a musical game for skilful musicians and fire from all of the orchestra, on the other – a very professional conductor, one based on knowledge, education and intelligence and not just resulting from great passion and love for music». – says Adam Rozlach, Polish Radio 1.

Some of numerous media reviews from his performances:-One of the most outstanding musicians of our time» – Saint-Petersburg TV-The conductor everyone is talking about!» – Sky News-The best concert in thirty years; left many breathless and in tears» – Saskatoon Symphony-He infects the orchestra and the listener» – Lutoslawski Competition-A river of emotion, which immersed the public» – Nice Matin-Conductor Prodigy from Australia… After the concert last night by one of the most sought after and applauded young conductors in the world, Daniel Smith is already being called the new Karajan» – Saint Petersburg News-An experience that reaped an ecstatic ovation» – Berlingske Tidende

On March 13th and March 21st Daniel Smith will conduct Filharmonia Śląska in Katowice and the Orkiestra Symfoniczna Filharmonii im. Karola Szymanowskiego in Kraków.

The concert in Katowice will also host the launch of Maestro Smith’s charity initiative – The Gift of Music. As his first gift, he has purchased 24 tickets for his concert in Katowice and has donated them to people who could not normally attend due to financial constraint, terminal illness and disability.